Improvement in horseshoes



M. C. CLARK.

A Hurseshoes. t, No. 137,891. PatentedApri|15,1a73.

(1M, PHOTD-LITHUGRAPHIC Cu. NX( osaolms' PRocess) section.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

MOSES C. CLARK, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HoRsEsHoEs.

Specification forming part of Let-ters Patent No. 137,891, dated April 15,1873; application filed February 3, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MosEs C. CLARK, of Manchester, Hillsborough county, in the State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horseshoes; and I hereby decla-re the following to be a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification.

The nature or essence of my invention consists in the particular construction, combination, and arrangement of devices forming the improvements described in the following specilication and represented in the accompanying drawing, in which-A Figure 1 is a plan of the under side of a horseshoe with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a section on line zz of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of a folded or double spring or pad, showing the India rubber by dotted lines and in the Fig. et is another form, with two plates riveted together, with rubber between them.

In the above-mentioned drawing, A is a horseshoe made in the common form, or in such otherform as will answer the purpose, and it may be made plain or provided with the ordinary toe and heel calks, or otherwise, as may be preferred. 'Io this shoe I add a piece of sheet metal, B. I prefer steel about one-twentieth of an inch thick, which I make in the form shown in the drawing, or in such. other form as will answer the purpose, and perforate the end for the screw (l, which passes through it and screws into the shoe. To hold the rear end otthe plate B,I make some grooves, as shown by the dotted lines D D in the inside corners of the heels of the shoe, in which the rear corners of the plate. are placed before the fore end is screwed on.

There may be two or more grooves in each heel of the shoe, so that the rear end of the plate B may be put higher or lower, and the plate may be bent more or less so as to bring it ligher or lower in the shoe, as may be preferred; or the rear end of the plate B Vmay be placed on the top of the inner corners of the heels, a recess, E, being made to receive it.

I sometimes modify my invention by making the steel plate long enough to turnover, as shown in Fig. 3, and put a cushion, F, of India rubber, or some suitable material, `between the upper and lower plates of the pad.

In another modification I make two plates, G and H, Fig. 4, and put a cushion, I, of rubber, between the plates, and fasten them together with rivets J J. When made in this way, I make the fore end of the top plate straight, so that it may slip in between the shoe and the hoof, and narrow the fore end of the bottom plate G and turn it up at a right angle at L, and insert it in a mortise, K, in the shoe just behind the screw-hole, so that by springing the end of the plate out of the mortise the plates can be taken from the shoe and replaced again in the shoe without removing the shoe from the foot. The plates,which are fastened by the screw, may be removed and replaced whenever desired, while the shoe re-4 mains upon the foot. A

By the use of my improvements the frog in a horses foot is prevented from sagging unnaturilly, or, when sagged, is restored to its natural position, as the plate or pad sustains and supports the frog in its natural position, which it would occupy if the foot was without a shoe,

y. so that by the use of the plate or pad horses lame from the sinking of the frog have been completely cured in a short time.

When the single steel plate is used the temv per should be very low7 to prevent it frombeing broken by hard substances.

The pads with two plates, with rubber between, are for very tender feet, and the one shown in Fig. 4 is to be used while the horse is standing, as it can be removed and applied with facility; and for very tender feet a rubber cushion may be used between a single plate and the frog of the foot.

I claiml. Providing the common or ordinary horseshoe with a removable adjustable metal plate or pad, arranged between the two sides of the shoe, to support and protect the frog of a horses foot, substantially as described. l

2. In combination with the common horseshoe, a Vpad with two pla-tes of metal, with India rubber or other cushion between the plates.

3. In combination with the metal plates or pads, two or more grooves in the inside corners of the heels ot' the shoe, to receive the edges of the plates, substantially as described.

MOSES C. CLARK.

Witnesses PETER 0. WOODMAN, B. l?. CTLLEY. 

